


Reasoning

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Character Study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-09
Updated: 2005-03-09
Packaged: 2019-05-31 03:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15110945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: "Who knows?" "Josh and the President." "Why nobody else?"





	Reasoning

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Reasoning**

**by: Kasey**

**Character(s):** Leo  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own them. Don't sue me, please.  
**Summary:** "Who knows?" "Josh and the President." "Why nobody else?"  
**Spoiler:** _Bartlet for America_.  
**Author's Note:** Very short and unbetaed. 

Why didn't I tell anyone else about what happened in Missouri? 

Y'know, it wasn't easy for me to come home after I got clean, to look Jenny and Mallory and Jed in the eye...to know the shit I'd put them through, to have them tell me how proud they were...Do you have any idea what that's like? Knowing what you did and having them say it doesn't matter because they're so proud of you? 

Do you know how horrible that makes you feel? The scumbag you feel like? How much you wanna scream at them "Welcome to reality - it wasn't a dream, I really was that big of a jackass! I was that horrible of a husband and a father and a friend and a PERSON for crying out loud!" 

And then I fucked up. Really badly. Not just personally, politically. But it was the personal part they'd focus on. 

From the beginning of the campaign, Sam and Josh...God, those two...they're good kids, they really are. Loyal to no end. And they sorta...adopted me. I guess I expected it outta Josh - I was a friend of Noah's, and any connection he could get to his father, especially once Noah died...but they were good kids and good deputies and I had to laugh sometimes because they acted like Jed and I used to when we were young guys. 

And when I showed up at the debate site, stumbling and reeking of scotch...Josh was the only one there, everyone else was at the hospital, and that kid...the look on his face when he saw me... 

Like I was despicable. A first-class fuck-up. Certainly not this guy he'd taken to honouring. 

And I pictured that same look on Sam's face, on Jenny's, on Mal's - that poor kid I'd put through so much...on Jed's... 

Things were bad enough. I couldn't bear that look. 

Why didn't I tell anyone else? 

So they wouldn't look at me like Josh had. 


End file.
